


By Moonlight (Carmilla Highwayman AU)

by hyacintholuscos



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:27:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3503315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacintholuscos/pseuds/hyacintholuscos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, an AU starring Laura as the Highwayman, and Carmilla as the Innkeeper's daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

> _“One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I’m after a prize to-night,_
> 
> _But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;_
> 
> _Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,_
> 
> _Then look for me by moonlight,_
> 
> _Watch for me by moonlight,_
> 
> _I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way.”_
> 
> ~ "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

***

Laura laid on the ground next to the river, letting the shade cool her off, her coat bundled up under her head. She knew she would hear from Perry later about how velvet was _not_ made to be bundled up, but she didn't care.

She had spent the entire morning waiting for someone to pass on the road into town, but no one but poor farmers seemed to be traveling today, and she would never steal from the people who were just making an honest living. She might be a thief, but she wasn't evil.

Her horse nickered softly, alerting her to a presence, and she sat up, her hat falling off of her head and letting her brown hair fall about her face. She grumbled, pushing it off of her face, and looked up to see a deer across the river, staring at her, obviously startled. She laid back down, chuckling at the panic that she had been in.

"You know," she said to her horse, "one of these days I'm not going to listen to your warning, and you're going to get me killed."

The horse huffed, sounding very human in that moment, and she grinned as she placed the hat over her face. It was definitely summer, and a hot one at that. But she knew that evening was approaching fast, and she would need to be home soon so that Perry didn't worry too much. She sighed, then sat up, hat tumbling into her lap, and picked up her coat.

The costume had been Perry's idea, and she had to admit that it worked in her favor. The large hat was perfect for hiding her hair in, the lace that hung loosely around her neck right now hid her face, and because she wore the dark brown breeches and tall boots, she gave the impression of a very small man.

But when she was on her horse, and had her rapier out, shouting in the lowest voice she could manage, people saw what they expected: a tall, powerful man robbing them.

She tied the lace up tight around her neck, and pulled her coat on, buttoning it up to hold the lace even higher in her face. She gathered her hair and twisted it up, pulling the hat on and assuming her Highwayman persona.

"Time to go," she said, standing up and brushing off her clothes more. The deer bolted as soon as she stood, and she felt a little sad. She knew it was just instinct, but she hated the idea of something being terrified of her. Or, at least, something being terrified of her that she wasn't _intending_ to scare.

She grabbed the reins of her horse from where she had tied them around a branch in a low shrub. She patted his neck, then guided him to the road where there was a tall rock that helped her get the extra boost she needed to get onto his back.

She rode home, setting a good pace so that it would only take her a quarter of an hour to get there without wearing him out. She knew he was restless; it had been a while since she had seen anything terribly exciting on the road.

She heard something behind her and turned in the saddle to see a redcoat troop surrounding a carriage riding up behind her, moving a lot faster than she was. She felt something sour settle into her stomach, and fought the urge to force a gallop away from them. She counted the soldiers, and knew that even with forewarning, there was no way she could take all of them and live.

She pulled the horse off to the side of the road, and stood still as the soldiers and the carriage gained on her....and shot right past her, none of them paying any attention to the rider on the side of the road. She turned, a little baffled and a little perturbed, and fought the urge to call out to them. She had been _lucky_ that none of them apparently had been looking for her.

She picked up her pace, keeping the soldiers in sight, and breathing a sigh of relief when they rode past the small cottage she and Perry shared with the same disregard they had showed her. When she got up to the cottage, Perry came out, and the look of relief on her face was enough to tell Laura that she had been genuinely worried.

"Damn it, Laura," she said, walking up to her as she slipped off of the horse's back. "Do you have any idea what I was thinking when I saw those soldiers?"

"Probably the same thing I thought when I heard them coming up behind me," Laura said in a low voice. "I'm fine, Perry. They didn't even look at me when they rode past me. Which is a good thing, since they probably would have been curious about the pistols and sword."

She took the pistols and rapier out of their holders attached to the saddle before removing the saddle from her horse. Perry took the weapons into the cottage while Laura walked the horse to the stable and brushed him down, then let him into his stall that let out onto the corral next to the stable.

She sat there and watched him as he trotted around, burning off some of his extra energy, and she heard Perry come up behind her.

"You should go see her tonight," Perry said. "I'm sure she'd love to see you."

Laura gave a wry smile. "I would love to go see her again. But Carmilla's brother is friends with all of the soldiers in town. All it would take is one word from him, and I'd be dead."

"Don't talk like that." Perry's voice was sharp, and Laura felt a little bad for saying that; she knew Perry hated the idea of the possibility of death. She liked to believe they were immortal, or at the very least, that they would live well into old age, and not die at the young ages of 23 and 25.

"Sorry, Perry." Laura crossed her arms and leaned against the railing around the corral, still looking at the horse. Perry leaned up next to her, her blue eyes questioning. "You know I want to go see her. But the more I go see her, the higher the chances are that someone will see me, and connect her to me. If they threatened to hurt her-" Laura cut off the thought, frowning, then shook her head. "I can't risk it."

Perry was quiet for several seconds, and then she looked at the horse, too. "I can understand where you're coming from. You do whatever you can to help the person you love. Regardless of how hard it is for you." Laura looked at her, and she saw the pain etched into the hard edges that appeared along Perry's jaw and cheekbones whenever she spoke like this.

"Do you want to share?" Laura asked. She and Perry had been friends for three years, but she had never learned what had made Perry run off away from her family. She did know that Perry's family was only another town over, not even an entire day's travel, but Perry had never made an effort to go visit them.

Perry looked at Laura, and shrugged, resting her chin on the backs of her hands, her eyes far away. "You know how it is, Laura." Perry's voice was strained with the effort of keeping her voice casual. "Not everyone has a choice in what happens with their life. I did. LaFontaine didn't. LaFontaine married him. I left. I haven't been back." The effort had cracked by the end, and the clipped sentences proved to Laura that this was more than Perry had said about it since it happened.

"I do know how it is." Laura smiled sadly, and placed a hand on Perry's shoulder. "In love with an innkeeper's daughter, remember?"

"I remember. You should still go see her tonight."

"We'll see."

****

Carmilla looked out the window and saw the carriage pulling into the courtyard, the soldiers surrounding it looking ill-tempered. She had to admit, in this kind of heat, their uniforms had to be unbearably hot. She knew the moment she saw William and her mother going out to greet them that she would be needing to make sure that there would be food ready and drinks pulled for them to cool off with.

She plaited her hair quickly, walking across her room, and then tying the end of her hair with a simple black ribbon that matched her hair. She smoothed her skirts and decided it would have to do for their guests.

She made her way down the stairs into the kitchen, where their cook was already filling bowls with the simple stew that they had planned on serving that night. She shot the tall redhead, Danny, a grateful smile, who rolled her eyes and went back to her work. Danny and she didn't exactly see eye to eye (both in height and in attitude), but Carmilla would admit in her own mind to being fond of the woman.

Of course, if anyone had asked her, she would have denied it, but she knew that Danny felt the same way about her.

Carmilla came out into the dining room about the same time that the group came into the building, the soldiers making a straight line for the bar and the hoped for drinks that Carmilla quickly drew from the casks, passing the ale to each of them.

The man who stood next to her mother was tall with wide shoulders, his uniform tailored perfectly, and his face the kind that she imagined looked very different when it smiled, although now it was cold and impassive. There was something dark burning in his eyes, though, a look she had come to expect from the men who frequented the inn.

She had learned to handle those types of things: smile and make it clear from her demeanor that they could look, but they could not touch. She hadn't had to deal with too many men who thought they could touch, because of the natural way she held them all at arm's length.

The soldiers were all staring as well, but she was unsettled by the other man's gaze more than theirs. She gave them all their drinks, chatted briefly, and then moved out of the way as two of the kitchen girls brought out the bowls of stew and trays piled with a couple dozen rolls.

She moved to her mother's side, offering an apologetic smile to the man, who was still staring at her hard, before she looked at her mother, waiting for some instructions.

"Carmilla, I would like to introduce you to Justice Hollis. He and his men will be staying with us for a few days. Will you go and make sure all of the rooms are prepped for them?"

"Of course, Maman. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," she added to the justice with a polite curtsy. His eyes kept the dark look, but he gave a sharp jerk of his head that she took as his version of a bow. She hurried up the steps to go and make certain all of the rooms were ready.

When her mother had first built the inn on her husband's death, people had laughed at the idea of an inn with eight rooms in a town this small. But her mother had always been a clever woman, and she had recognized that the road between Boston and New Haven would experience more business as they built up both towns, and she rarely had a night where more than two rooms went unused.

But with the soldiers and the justice, each room would be occupied tonight. And for the next few days, it seemed.

When she had finished checking the rooms and came back downstairs, Will was sitting with the soldiers, making quick friends with them, as he had with every single soldier that he met. Carmilla felt a little sick at the way that he smiled and clapped their shoulders; she had more than one reason to be cautious around the soldiers, but Laura was the biggest one.

But she wasn't terribly worried; the only time Laura dressed as a man was when she was out on the road; the rest of the time, she wore dresses and acted every bit a woman, albeit a peculiar one. And the soldiers would be blinded by the woman, so they wouldn't see the Highwayman.

"....here to capture some fiend who keeps attacking the tax collectors on the road to Boston," one of the soldiers said to Will, who nodded, a serious expression on his face.

"I've heard about this robber on the road. Seems to only target the tax collectors or officials of the Empire, right?"

"Right. And the governor has been getting angrier each time a new story comes in. So he asked Justice Hollis to travel along the road and try to capture the Highwayman around here." The soldier smiled at Will. "Wouldn't happen to know where we can find a large man who hides his face from view most of the time, would you?"

Will grinned. "Can't say as I know. Carmilla, what about you?"

She wished he hadn't drawn attention to her. At the first sentence from the soldier's mouth, she had felt like someone stood on her chest. Sure, they were looking for a man, so Laura could, conceivably be safe.

But if she tried anything while they were here, they might be able to find her out. And once they did, there would be no hope left for Carmilla.

She buried the feeling as deep as she could, and smiled at the soldiers. "I'm afraid I'm not any help, either. Guess I won't be the hero of this piece."

The soldiers laughed, and turned to each other, but Carmilla looked up and saw the look on Will's face. It was hard, and there was a darkness behind his eyes. The anger that he hid from most people, but that she had seen enough times to feel dread settling into her temples again.

She went back behind the bar and refilled the men's drinks, then went into the kitchen where Danny was supervising the girls making some pies for the soldiers as a desert. Carmilla sat on a stool next to Danny, not saying anything, leaning her head back against the stone wall and closing her eyes.

Danny's voice was low. "I hope you don't expect to hide here all evening."

Carmilla gave a sad smile. "Not all evening. Just trying to gather the energy to get back out there." She paused, and then she lowered her voice. "They're here to catch the Highwayman."

Danny stiffened. Carmilla had known for ages that Danny knew who the Highwayman really was, and that she was protective of Laura. Danny shot Carmilla a look.

"They said that?"

Carmilla nodded, and lowered her voice even more, so that truly only Danny would be able to hear her. "I know you can get a hold of her easier than I can. Mother made it sound like they are only staying a few days, but my guess is that they will stay closer to a week. Possibly a fortnight."

"Do you know any of their names?"

"Not the soldiers, but the man leading them is named Hollis." Danny's face paled even further, and she gripped Carmilla's arms, looking directly in her eyes.

"Hollis? You're sure?"

"Yes, of course. Justice Hollis."

Danny seemed to realize that the girls in the kitchen were making a point of not looking at them, and she let go of Carmilla's arms. "Sorry."

Carmilla was baffled. "It's... It's okay." She didn't rub her arms, although she could feel bruises forming under her sleeves. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

Danny shook her head. "It's not my place to mention that. You'll want to talk to her."

She felt a little frustrated; she knew that Danny had known Laura longer than she had, but she and Laura were.... well, not truly lovers, but near enough. She shouldn't be in the dark about something that Danny knew about her.

"You should go. Thank you for the warning. I'll pass the word along."

Carmilla nodded and went back into the dining room, putting on her innkeeper's daughter smile, and easily serving the men their drinks.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The moon was up, and Laura made her way cautiously through the courtyard of the innyard. She had chosen to not bring her horse this night; his hooves always made a lot of noise on the cobbles, and with soldiers staying in the inn, and above all,  _him,_ being there, she didn't risk it. She found the ladder on the side of the barn and set it up against the wall below Carmilla's window, then whistled a soft birdsong. Carmilla opened the shutters, saw Laura, and the smile that lit up her face made Laura's heart climb up into her throat.

She was the most beautiful woman Laura had ever seen, and the more she knew her, the more Laura recognized that her outward appearance was nothing in comparison with the beautiful  _person_ she was. She was kind and generous and thoughtful, and full of such  _fire_ for life, and when she would smile at Laura, Laura could believe that everything in the world would be all right. Because Carmilla was there.

Carmilla climbed down the ladder easily, wearing breeches that she had obviously had to tailor for herself (Laura had offered a while back to let Perry tailor them to fit her better, and Carmilla had shot her a look that had let Laura know to never offer again), and a shirt that had sleeves cut off at the elbow and had been fit as tight as was still considered modest.

In other words, Carmilla looked as beautiful as ever. When she hit the ground, she turned around, tucking a few loose curls behind her ears, and Laura wanted nothing more than to just grab her and kiss her. In spite of the late hour and the darkness, Laura still shot a glance around the courtyard, but she could see no one else.

She kept the kiss chaste, though, a light brushing of her lips on Carmilla's cheek, grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the night. They wouldn't have long, and Laura wasn't one for wasting time.

"I didn't think you would come tonight," Carmilla whispered as they entered the canopy of the trees where even the most penetrating of gazes wouldn't be able to follow them. "Not with the Justice and the soldiers here." She refused to let go of Laura's hand as they made their way cautiously, and was grateful for the moonlight that pierced the canopy; they didn't need a torch or lantern to see, once their eyes had adjusted. She felt nervous still, and kept looking back over her shoulder, although she knew no one had followed.

"Carmilla, you should know by now that not even hell itself could keep me from coming to see you." Laura wished that Carmilla could see how incredible she was, could see that she was worth whatever price Laura had to pay to be with her. Laura shrugged instead of raising that point yet again, and turned to give Carmilla a rogueish grin. "Besides, do you really think those boys stand a chance of actually doing anything to me? I'm smarter than all of them together."

Carmilla fought the urge to frown at the smaller woman's bravado. She knew that Laura was posturing, and she had convinced herself it was for Carmilla's benefit. But she also knew she didn't want their night to fall into bickering that would ruin the magic of being out in the moonlight with her. So Carmilla played along, stepping closer and giving Laura a soft, lingering kiss, feeling her head start spinning after a little bit.

"Damn right you are, sweetheart." Whenever she called anyone else sweetheart, it dripped with sarcasm, but whenever she spoke to Laura, her voice softened and turned it into one of the most beautiful words Laura had ever heard. "I guess I should know better than to think you would be afraid of such simpletons."

Of course Laura was afraid, but it wasn't of the soldiers. Soldiers would be easy to handle, with a well-placed bullet or thrust of her blade. It was Justice Hollis who worried her. But she wouldn't let Carmilla worry about him on her behalf; the Justice was her own problem. "Of course not." Laura kissed Carmilla lightly again, then they began a far more leisurely stroll through the tangle of the forest, their hands clasped.

The last four months had been a blur to Laura; she and Perry had come to town the year before and built their cottage on the outskirts of the village. The inn had been built just six months ago, and Laura and Perry had finally entered the inn for the first time two months later. She and Perry had intended to see what the inn was like and listen to gossip from the travelers; it had been time for them to move on to another town and another road, or so they had both been thinking. The moment Laura had seen Carmilla, Laura had changed their plans. Something had drawn her to Carmilla so strongly that she knew she  _had_ to stay, and damn the consequences.

It had taken her nearly a month to realize that Carmilla returned her feelings, and another week before she worked up the courage to call on her (unofficially, of course). But since then, it had become a regular thing. Three or four nights each week, Laura would come and get Carmilla, and they would walk and talk and spend their time just soaking in each other's presence.

Their first kiss had been...well, Laura had felt like an idiot right before it, having attempted to climb a tree to get an apricot for Carmilla, and having a branch break under her, sending her plummeting to the ground. When she had hit, the wind had been knocked out of her, and she had felt a deep-rooted fear settle as she failed to breathe in for several seconds that felt like minutes. When she did take that first shuddering breath, she realized Carmilla had her arms wrapped around her, and Carmilla was shaking and whimpering her name. With that first breath, she said Carmilla's name, and Carmilla just kissed her.

She then spent the rest of the night letting Laura know that there was  _no_ reason for her to go climbing up a tree like that for her  _ever._ Carmilla then showed that she was quite capable of getting her own fruit, agilely climbing up into the top reaches of the branches and dropping several of the fruits down to Laura.

She still thought nothing tasted as sweet as Carmilla's lips, but those apricots that night were as close as anything else she'd ever tasted. It had only been in the last few weeks that Laura recognized that she actually could not picture her life without Carmilla in the future. And the future was arriving fast. Perry had already mentioned they should leave, that they were drawing too much attention here, and she was right.

But how could Laura leave Carmilla behind? But how could she even consider asking Carmilla to go with her, to spend the rest of her life running?

"What's on your mind, love?" Carmilla asked after a few minutes of companionable silence had fallen between them and they were making their way back to town. "You're very quiet tonight."

Laura debated asking for a moment, looking at Carmilla. Could she ask her to give up her life here?

The answer was simple: She shouldn't ask her.

"Run away with me." Laura's voice made it a statement, but her brown eyes showed Carmilla that she was asking her if she would. Carmilla felt like a weight lifted off of her, and that she was suddenly too light to stay on the ground. She clung to Laura's hand, letting her ground her.

"What?"

"Run away with me. We could do it, you know. You, Perry, and I could just leave, could find someplace new to settle down. Someplace where people don't keep asking questions or push us around or anything."

"Are you...serious?" Carmilla's voice was shaky, and Laura felt fear settle into her stomach then. "You're really asking me to go with you? You... you  _want_ me go to with you?"

"Of course I do. I love you, Carmilla Karnstein, and I want to take you away from all of this. Soon, Perry and I will have to leave. We've already stayed here too long. But come with us when we do go."

Carmilla released her hand, stepping back to lean against a tree to keep herself upright. She had known, of course, that Laura and Perry wouldn't be able to stay there forever, not without there being some certainty of them being caught by the soldiers for their banditry. But her life here... it was all she had.

And she had known Laura for months, but as her conversation with Danny earlier had shown her, she hardly knew Laura. Even the rumors in town about her and Perry gave her nothing more than what Laura had already told her. Carmilla looked at her. "Tell me one thing, first."

"Anything," Laura promised.

"Why did Danny look like she had seen a ghost when I told her that the Justice's surname was Hollis?"

Laura felt like she had been punched in the gut, but she recognized that it was a question that Carmilla had a right to ask. She didn't know where to start though, so her sentences were short and clipped, similar to the way Perry had spoken to her earlier. But the more she said, the easier the words came to her.

"I grew up privileged... my father was a very protective man. With a lot of power. And a lot of money. I was engaged to the son of one of his friends, another man with a lot of power and a lot of money. They planned on using each other's influence to improve their positions in life, and the marriage was their official bond.

"The son and I didn't even  _like_ each other, though. I was disgusted by him, and he was in love with some other girl, but our fathers refused to listen. So, one night, four years ago, I ran away. No note or anything. My father was appointed to a justice position after I left, and I heard that they officially ruled that I was dead before he became a justice. Now, though, it seems that he is sent out on missions for the governor."

Carmilla hadn't known what she had been expecting, but she recognized easily that this could be the truth. Laura hadn't spoken about her family at all in any of their conversations, and Carmilla had refused to talk about hers for obvious reasons. She knew if Laura heard even half of what happened when she wasn't there, there would be a dead body left behind.

"He's... your father?"

"He was. When I left, I abandoned all of my ties to him. The only thing I have kept is my surname. Danny knows about it because I first came through the town the night I ran away, and I had told her everything. She had let me stay with her that night, gave me some provisions, and sent me off. When I came back, she remembered me."

Carmilla stepped forward, seeing the tension in Laura's body and recognizing that she was steeling herself against even the idea of her father's presence. "I understand why you didn't tell me, Laura. It is your past. It doesn't bear on your present."

"Perhaps." Laura decided to not point out that she only targeted the collectors who were going to the city where she knew her father was living; nearly every other collector was allowed to go on their way and never saw her. She had made it a little personal with him, but she was sure he didn't know.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you by asking. I know how it is to not want to talk about the past."

"I'm fine, Carmilla." Laura grabbed her hand and raised it to her lips. "Now, I did answer your question. Will you answer mine? Will you run away with me?"

Carmilla looked at Laura, tried to look like she was considering it. But she had known the moment Laura had asked her what her answer would be.

"Of course I'll go with you, Laura."

***

The soldiers had questioned nearly the entire village, gone searching through the houses of those they considered suspicious, but they couldn't find any sign of the Highwayman they were looking for. Carmilla's nerves were ready to snap, although she did a good job of hiding it from them as they questioned the staff and her family for a second time. No, she had no idea who would be doing this. She was a loyal citizen of the realm, and she couldn't imagine betraying the king in this manner. If she knew anything, she would tell them.

The words were ash on her tongue, but she spoke them as easily as her mother and brother. Justice Hollis stayed stoney-faced through their entire interrogations, and when he dismissed them, she felt his eyes boring a hole between her shoulders.

When he had had Perry and Laura come in, she had felt like her heart was about to stop. But as they left, Laura had given her a wink and a smile. It had been a week since they spoke about running away, and Laura had told her when she left that night that she was going to keep a low profile until they were gone. Once the soldiers and her father left, she, Carmilla, and Perry would be able to leave and raise only the slightest suspicion.

"We will be leaving in the morning. It seems that this highwayman has moved on already," the justice had said that morning to his men. Carmilla felt tension fleeing her body at his words; they hadn't found Laura. She was safe for now. She noticed Will's dark expression across the room as he spoke in low tones to them, but she didn't care. Laura was safe, and come tomorrow, they wouldn't be a threat to her anymore.

Later that day, she let Danny know of the development, and Danny let her know that Laura planned on visiting that night. Carmilla wanted to tell her to stay away for a while longer, but this week was the longest they had gone without being able to speak to each other, and she wanted to see her more than anything. So she kept herself quiet, and that night, when Laura whistled at her window, she was ready to run away right then.

When she opened her window, she was disappointed to see Laura dressed in her full highwayman garb and on her horse's back. She wasn't particularly fond of the large animal, and it seemed to feel the same way about her. But when she noticed that the ladder wasn't up against the window, she was confused.

"Laura, what are you doing?" she hissed.

"I'm sorry, Carm. But I want to make sure they don't suspect the village at all anymore, so I have to ride tonight for one of the other roads. I just had to see you before I left."

"Don't. Just wait until they leave. It's too dangerous."

"And they would come back in a heartbeat if the highwayman started up again. That's why, if I go someplace else, they'll waste their time over there for another week or so, and by the time they think of this village again, we'll be gone."

"Laura..."

"Just blow me a kiss, Carm. I promise, I'll be back in the morning, and I'll come see you."

"They might still be here."

"Fine." A gust of wind set one of the stable wickets creaking in the darkness, and Carmilla looked over towards the barn, but she couldn't see anything in the shadows there. "Then look for me by moonlight. Tomorrow night, I'll come for you. Not even hell will keep me away."

Carmilla wanted to beg Laura to stay, to plead with her to not do this, but she knew the stubborn young woman wouldn't listen to a word she said. She reached out of the window, and was grateful for its low placement. They were able to touch fingers, with Laura standing as tall as she could in her stirrups.

Carmilla blew her a kiss, wishing she could do more, and watched as Laura turned in the courtyard and galloped away, her horse's steps muffled slightly by the bags over his hooves. Clever. She'd have to tell her that was a good idea.

She watched as Laura rode away, the road a pale ribbon in the moonlight, and soon she lost sight of her in the night. Carmilla sighed and pulled her window closed, latching the shutters tight and going to her bed.

She didn't see the man who stepped out of the stables, his eyes dark and hard and his jaw set. Will looked in the direction that the highwayman-  _woman_ he mentally corrected- had gone, and a nasty grin spread across his face.

***

When Laura had told her her  _ridiculous_ plan, Perry had known that she wasn't going to be able to convince her to drop it. She had tried anyway.

"Laura, if your father finds you, you're going to face a lot worse than just imprisonment. He'll have you executed to make an example."

"He can try. He wasn't able to keep a hold of me when I lived in his own household. This isn't any different."

"He has  _soldiers_ now. That is  _very_ different."

"Perry, I know what I am doing. If they hear about a highwayman on another road miles from here, they'll go and investigate the nearest village to where he was seen. It will distract them. And my father isn't as clever as he likes everyone to believe."

"Laura,  _please._ Think about what could happen if they don't fall for it. Think about Carmilla."

"I am, Perry." Laura's jaw clenched. "It's because of her that I have to do this. They're staying with her family; if she just vanishes, my father will consider it a personal task for him to find her and return her. And if she gets returned to her family after we run away..." Laura looked at her then, and Perry could see the agony that thought caused her. "If we distract them, we'll be a week away before they realize anything happened here. At that point, there's no way they would be able to find us."

Perry wanted to shake her. Laura didn't care about her own well-being, not if she could protect people she loved, but she didn't realize that if she got hurt, none of them would feel protected or be okay with it. But Laura was stubborn and there was no way to get that through to her, so the very least that Perry could do was make sure that she had everything she needed before she went off.

When she had gone that night, Perry sat up the whole night, a candle burning for company and her eyes blurring as she read one of the few books that she had taken with her when she left her family's home nearly ten years before. She wasn't really paying attention to the words, but she felt soothed by their presence.

When dawn began to shine through the window, she waited.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Carmilla had not expected Laura in the morning, or even at noon. But she also hadn't expected the Justice and his men to still be there long into the afternoon, Will and her mother being called over regularly and all of them watching her closely. She felt nervous, but couldn't connect it to anything specific.

It wasn't until she had gone back into the kitchen at sunset and came out to find a soldier locking their front door that she realized what their continued presence might mean. She tried to run back into the kitchen, but two of the soldiers grabbed her, their faces hard and cold. She tried to kick and twist her way out of their hands, but they were trained and she was too small to cause any real damage. She twisted her head to look at her mother, who had her face turned away from her daughter, and then she looked to Will. There was a malicious glee in his eyes, and that extreme patriotism that burned inside of him and made him spend so much time around the soldiers as he could.

They dragged her up to her room, and one of them pulled out long ropes, tying her to the tall bedpost at the bottom of her bed, with a direct view of the road. Two of them knelt by her window, their rifles and muskets primed and ready. She twisted, but they bound a pistol to her, it's muzzle pointed at her chest, and she noticed it was also primed. She froze, then, staring into the eyes of the soldier who was tying her up.

"I demand to know what you are doing! I have done nothing wrong."

"Be quiet. You two, keep watch," the justice said as he stepped into her room, a gleam in his eyes that matched her brother's. "We are not going to harm you, Carmilla, so long as you play your part. You are the bait for our real...prize." The smile he gave turned her stomach. "Just stay quiet and don't move. When your caller comes tonight, we'll be ready to take him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Carmilla whispered, feeling a tear streak its way down her cheek and not caring that he could see the weakness. He reached out a hand and wiped the tear away, giving the impression of kindness. She felt sick at the idea of him touching her, but she couldn't pull away. The bonds were tight, and with her hands bound in front of her, she couldn't even reach up to smack his hand away. She jerked her head away, though, and she heard his angry intake of breath.

"You _do_ know what I'm talking about. Your highwayman, after all, has become legendary. Had we but known that his beloved was in this inn, we could have found him days ago. Now that we do know, we'll use it to our advantage."

"Go to hell. I won't help you capture him. I'll die first."

"That can be arranged, very easily, Miss Karnstein." His eyes were dark and hard as she turned to look at him again. "But until then, you will be used. With or without your consent." He turned to the soldiers. "One of you keep an eye on her. I don't care how long this takes; your only task is to keep an eye on her and on the road. But first," he added, gripping her face and giving her a hard kiss on her lips. She tried to pull her head out of his grasp, but wasn't able to. When he pulled away, she spat directly into his face and was gratified to see that some of it must have hit his eye.

She didn't see the blow coming, but her head was jerked to the side by the force of his backhand. She heard a ringing in her ear, and a small trickle that told her that some blood was coming from it. Her head was spinning and she felt nauseous, and when she finally was able to keep the room steady in her vision, he was glaring at her, a handkerchief in his hand and his eyes blazing.

"Gag her," he ordered the men, and one of them immediately pulled out a cloth and tied it around her head, the cloth digging into the corners of her mouth and clenched between her teeth. When the soldier was done, the justice walked up to her again. "You will live long enough to regret that decision, girl. You'll hang for it."

When he left the room, the soldiers settled by the window, one of them turned so he was watching her the whole time, and the other staring out across the road. The sun was setting, and darkness was setting in very quickly.

She sent a prayer to every God she had ever heard of and any power in the universe to keep Laura from coming. Don't let her fall into this trap.

Once the room was dark, she twisted her hands, hoping her sweat had made the rope more pliable. Her skin quickly became raw, and as the sharp pain settled into her muscles, she forced herself to not think of what was making the ropes slick now. At first, she hadn't been sure what she was trying to do, if she was trying to escape or just trying to get her hands free to get her gag off so she could shout a warning. The soldier who should have been watching her seemed to have fallen asleep, or perhaps he didn't recognize what she was doing as anything threatening. Whatever it was, he didn't react to her attempts.

She felt the barrel of the pistol settled below her breast, and then she knew what she needed to do. The trigger on the pistol. If she could reach it, she could shoot it, could warn Laura in the only way she could do easily. She shot her glance to the soldiers, the one staring out on the moonlit roadway, the other turned so that his face was hidden from her view. She assumed from his lack of reaction so far that he was asleep, or just didn't care.

She would use that to her advantage.

It felt like it took years of twisting, of stretching and straining for her finger to finally touch the trigger. She stopped her fighting then, and kept staring out of her window, her prayers still going out that Laura wouldn't come.

***

Laura had needed to hide for most of the day in a small cave that she had used previously for the same reason. An entire band of soldiers had seen her right after she had robbed the tax collector that day, and had chased her right into the woods.

She had heard them going back and forth in the forest, but none of them knew these trails the way she did, and her horse had learned years before to stay silent when they were in the trees. He was a smart creature.

She had received more money than she had expected, by a lot. Enough for all three of them to be able to settle comfortably for a few years sat in that small chest. She took it as a sign from God that she and Carmilla were meant to be, and this was His way of blessing their love.

She buried the chest in the dirt floor of the cave, stamping down the dirt and leaving a small mark so that if Perry came here alone, she would be able to find it, and the other two small chests that they had hidden there previously. It made no sense to leave that kind of money in their own house where anyone could see it.

Once she was certain the soldiers were gone, it was well into the night. Laura walked her horse out into the woods, moving as silently as she could with the large animal in tow. He did as good as he could.

When they made it to the road, Laura looked east, trying to see the village, but it was hidden over the hill. She wanted to make good time to see Carmilla; she was already much later than she had thought she would be. When she climbed up into the saddle and kicked his sides, her horse surged forward, sensing her own excitement and her need to get to the inn.

***

Carmilla could hear the hoofbeats from a mile away, although she had spent just a moment hoping that she was hearing her own heartbeat. But no, the soldier by the window who had been watching the road touched his partner's shoulder, who turned as well, his both of their rifles pointing out to the west. She could make out Laura on her horse on the pale road, and felt like her heart had dropped into her feet. Or vanished completely.

She hoped Laura would sense the trap, but she could see her speeding forward even more, and she watched the soldiers aiming their rifles. She took a deep breath, her heart stilled, and in that moment she sent her love to Laura with as much as she could.

Then she moved her finger, and pistol fired, her chest feeling first like it had been pierced with ice, and then felt the burning of the bullet entering her chest and piercing her straight through.

She dropped against the bonds, but kept her head up. She saw Laura, pause, her horse stopping, and then she spurred in the other direction. She noticed that both of the soldiers shot out into the night, but both the horse and rider kept going, no sign of slowing down or wounds.

 _She's alive. It's worth it, so long as she lives,_ Carmilla thought, feeling her life leaving her with each drop of blood that stained the floor beneath her. There was shouting, but she didn't care, falling into the deep blackness, and whispering Laura's name.

***

Perry heard the galloping in the dirt in front the cottage and immediately came outside, finding a wild-looking Laura falling from her horse and directly into her arms. Laura's pale face was enough to cause Perry to panic, and she pulled her into the cottage so she could take a look at her in the light.

The candle revealed blood on Perry's hands, and when she finally removed the dark coat and shirt from Laura, there was a lot of blood staining her stomach, although it seemed to be just a flesh wound from a bullet that grazed her side. Perry immediately pulled out bandages and what other medical supplies she had readily available.

She cleaned it, and could see that the bullet wasn't there, and the wound was fairly straight, although it had taken a decent chunk out of her side. As she stitched it up, Laura was tensed on their table, and silent as Perry tried to ask her questions.

Finally, once the wound was bandaged and stitched up, Laura spoke.

"They set a trap at the inn, Perry."

Her blood felt like it had frozen in her veins. She knew what it meant, the same as Laura knew what it meant. They had found out about her and Carmilla.

"Laura, don't do anything brash."

"Like?"

"Like going in there to fight. They might just think that you left her behind now that you know there was a trap."

"Thank God their first shot missed," Laura said, sitting up and pulling her shirt back on. "I always told you that soldiers were awful shots. They don't have to pay for their own bullets, so they don't care how many shots it takes to hit their target."

"Yes, thank God. Look, give it time to die down further. If they think you're gone, they won't have a reason to keep a hold of her. She hasn't done anything, truthfully, and they might just think that they were given some bad information. Okay?" Laura stayed silent for several seconds. _"Laura."_

"All right. But in the morning, we should check with Danny. She'll know what's going on."

***

Laura didn't sleep, although she laid in her bed with a blanket over her. Perry knew she hadn't slept, because Perry herself hadn't been able to sleep. They had had close calls before, of course, but nothing like this. Nothing that threatened the lives of anyone but the two of them, and nothing that seemed to be hopeless.

For all of her brave words the night before, Perry knew that Carmilla was in terrible danger, and she knew that Laura's promise to her wasn't enough to keep her from doing something brash to save her.

Perry finally got up and started doing things around the cottage, getting a breakfast going for the both of them while Laura sat up and tried to help out. But her side still pained her, and she kept risking pulling out the stitches, so Perry forced her to sit down at the table and wait.

When Danny burst into the house, looking wild and terrified, Perry knew. She just _knew._

That first shot hadn't missed at all.

"Laura..." Danny's voice was trembling, and the tall woman walked up to Laura, practically picked her up, and hugged her tight. "Thank God. I thought-" her voice broke off, and she hugged Laura tighter. "Thank God you're all right."

"Of course I'm all right," Laura said, hugging her back. Not quite as tight, but tight enough for Danny to decide to let her go. "What made you think I wasn't all right?"

Danny looked at her, somewhat incredulous. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

Danny looked at Perry, the look all of the confirmation that she needed to tell her what had happened last night. Perry looked away from Danny then, fighting her tears, because right now, Laura was going to need her to be strong now. She was going to need Perry more than she had ever needed her before.

"You should sit down, Laura," Danny said, her voice soft. Laura sat down then, and Perry could see that she recognized what was to come was not something she wanted to hear. Danny started to pace the floor, and she laid everything out as simply as she could. Carmilla's brother had seen them the night before, had put it all together, and had told the justice and the soldiers to stay, and how to capture the highwayman they had been hutning.

She explained how they had captured Carmilla to use as bait, and how they had laid the trap to capture the highwayman. Perry watched as Laura's face began to register what was happening, what Danny was getting ready to say, but she saw the way Laura's jaw tightened, her back went rigid, and she knew that she was waiting for confirmation.

"They had a pistol tied to her, I'm supposing to keep her from getting the idea of yelling to warn you. None of them are sure what happened, really, but when you were in view.... she shot herself. The soldiers who were in her room saw you pause and shot at you, so I thought that you might have been really wounded."

"Carmilla?" Laura asked, her voice flat, her eyes cold and emotionless in a way that Perry had never seen before. She knew that this had to be some sort of self-defense mechanism that Laura was using to keep from screaming. Danny had tears streaming down her face as she turned back to Laura.

"I'm so sorry, Laura."

"Danny, I need to hear you _say_ it."

"C-" Danny's voice cut off, and Perry suddenly realized how much she must have actually cared for the innkeeper's daughter. "Carmilla's dead, Laura."

Perry watched Laura, saw the emotions going through her in quick succession. Pain, sadness, heartbreak, anger, and in the end, determination. Laura stood up.

"Thank you for letting me know, Danny." She went to her bed, grabbed the dark coat that was still stiff with blood and pulled it on, then her boots, and finally her hat, piling her hair up under it.

"Laura, don't."

"Perry. You won't convince me." Laura's voice was iron. "Once I'm done, go to that little cave. There's enough money there for many years, if you're careful with it."

Perry wanted to touch her, but Laura went past her, grabbing her rapier and the two pistols from their hook by the door, and going out to the stable. Danny went to go after her, but Perry grabbed her. "Don't, Danny. I'm going to need your help with everything after, but... We can't do anything here right now."

***

Laura felt her grief settling into every part of her body, and she knew that it was sapping her strength far more than any wound she could have ever received. She kept her horse at a full gallop on the way into town, and saw the justice and a few soldiers on the road, making their way toward her with the same speed on their own horses.

She wondered which of the soldier's pistols had been used, but she didn't care. She knew who she had to blame for this. Her father. It had been on his orders that Carmilla's life had been threatened, and her blood was on his hands. She screamed, raising her rapier over her head, hoping that she would get close enough to kill him before one of his soldier's bullets found its way into her.

She got close. So very close. Within just a few feet before the first bullet hit her in the stomach. A second hit her in the right side of her chest, and it was the second that she knew would kill her. Fired from her father's own gun. The strength that had held her rapier above her head failed her now, the thin blade falling from her hands and to the ground as she slipped from the horse.

The hat tumbled off of her head, her hair falling out around her in the dust of the road, and she heard the gasps of the soldiers as they recognized this highwayman was no man at all.

She didn't care, truthfully; her father would have to live with the knowledge that he killed his own daughter, but she knew it wouldn't trouble him long. All she knew was that she would get to see Carmilla again.

She died with her name on her lips.

***

Perry had been allowed to collect Laura's body from the road, and was surprised to find the horse standing next to her, his head bowed and dried sweat making his dark hair lighter. Laura looked at peace, in spite of the blood that had pooled in the dirt beneath her.

A day later, they had buried Carmilla in the cemetery, and Perry had waited until that night before having Danny help her to bury Laura right next to her. They had known better than to ask her mother and brother for permission, and it seemed fitting to bury Laura in the moonlight next to Carmilla.

Their entire courtship had been carried on in the moonlight, after all.

She had thought about them for several weeks, as she stayed in the cottage she had shared with Laura, and decided that she was going to channel some of Laura's bravery. She had always said that not even hell would keep her from Carmilla, and she had acted on it.

Perry had been gone long enough.

It was time to go home and to see LaFontaine again.

***

When she rode into town, she really couldn't believe how long it had been since she had set foot there. She had never gone far, though, always staying within at least a couple day's walk of her home, and the place where her heart had been for years.

She knew where they had moved to when they married JP, of course. It was one of the nicest houses in the entire town, built by JP's father for them as a wedding gift. Perry had known then that LaFontaine would have the kind of life that she never would have been able to give them. A life that would be stable and secure, a life that wouldn't have to be lived in hiding.

But leaving that day had been the most painful thing she had ever done. She had left her very heart behind when she had left them.

And now she was home, and riding up to their home. She wondered if they would even recognize her; ten years changed a person a great deal.

She slipped off the horse as the front door opened and LaFontaine stepped out, obviously trying to get a good look at Perry. She turned to look at them, still finding it incongruous to see them in a dress, although they had both spent their entire childhoods in dresses.

"Perry?" LaFontaine's voice was full of surprise, and when they stepped out into the light better, Perry could see how they had aged. They had always been good-looking, but with maturity, they had become even _more_ handsome.

"Hello, LaFontaine." She didn't realize she was crying until they had walked up to her and hugged her tight, holding her in the way that just told her she was _home._ She clung to them as tight as she could.

"Perr. Where have you been?"

Perry laughed, still clinging to them and refusing to let go. "All sorts of places. But I've been nearby."

LaFontaine was still holding her as tight as she held onto them, but then she heard a child's voice behind LaFontaine, and they broke the hug.

"Mum, who is she?" The child was a little boy with LaFontaine's hair and bright blue eyes, perhaps five years old. Perry felt an ache settling into her chest, although she had known to expect it. Another child, a girl who was maybe seven years old stood inside the house, staring at Perry with a very odd expression. She had some of JP's appearance in her face, but shared enough of LaFontaine's looks that it was obvious she was their daughter.

"Samuel, her name is Perry. She's one of my friends from when I was growing up." LaFontaine turned back to her with a smile. "Come inside and we'll catch up. I'm sure we both have a lot to share."

"I don't want to interrupt. I'm sure your husband will be coming home soon," Perry said evasively; she had really just wanted to see them. She hadn't made more plans than that, although she knew she was going to be staying put this time. No more running away.

LaFontaine looked a little pained, and Samuel piped up before they could say anything.

"My Papa died two years ago."

Perry wasn't terribly surprised; he had always been sick from something the entire time they had been growing up. And she would admit, a selfish part of her had some hope of...something.

LaFontaine smiled. "I'm guessing you came straight into town and don't even have a place to stay yet. Let's go inside and talk, and we'll figure everything out." Samuel ran into the house, and LaFontaine offered her their hand, squeezing her fingers and looking for all the world like Perry was the best thing they had seen in years.

"I missed you. I hope you're planning on staying."

Perry smiled. "I'm not leaving again, LaFontaine. I learned from a dear friend, you can't let anything keep you away from the person you love. Not even hell itself." She followed LaFontaine into the house, wondering if maybe, just maybe, she might be able to have an easier time than she originally thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an alternate, slightly more painful ending on my tumblr page (http://hyacintholuscos.tumblr.com/post/113070887617/by-moonlight-chapter-3) for those who wish to read it.  
> Hope you have all enjoyed the Highwayman AU, or at least, don't want to hunt me down for it.


End file.
